Hearing of a supreme and wondrous event, the noble king turned to the revered sage before him, his heart filled with awe. “O great yogi, O honored teacher,” he implored, “please explain this marvel to me. Surely, it is nothing but the work of Hari’s mysterious power—there can be no other cause behind it.” He continued, his voice warm with gratitude, “We are the most fortunate in the world, O teacher. Though we are kṣatriyas only in name, we are blessed beyond compare, for we constantly drink the nectar of Kṛṣṇa’s sacred stories as it flows from your lips.” At this, Śrī Sūta spoke: Thus questioned, the son of Badarāyaṇa—his mind absorbed in the boundless heart of truth—was gently brought back to outward awareness. Regaining his senses with effort, he slowly answered the foremost devotee of the Lord. “O best among the twice-born,” he said, “as you have asked, I have recounted to you in full the playful incarnations and wondrous deeds of the Lord. Know this: whoever, whether fallen, stumbling, distressed, wounded, or helpless, calls out loudly, ‘Obeisance to Hari!’ is freed from all sin. “When the infinite Lord is glorified, and His power realized through hearing, He enters the hearts of people and completely cleanses their suffering, just as the sun and a strong wind dispel darkness and clouds. Words and tales that do not speak of the transcendent Lord are empty and false; only that which brings forth the Lord’s virtues is truth, auspicious, and holy. “Only the glories of the Lord—when sung—are ever delightful, ever fresh, and ever new. They are a constant festival for the mind, drying up the ocean of sorrow for all who hear them. Speech, no matter how ornate, that does not proclaim Hari’s fame—which sanctifies the world—is like a crow’s bathing place, shunned by swans. Where Acyuta is present, there indeed are pure devotees. “Even if imperfect in meter, any speech that contains the names and glories of the infinite Lord washes away people’s sins; the virtuous delight in listening, singing, and reciting it. Even action free from desire, O Acyuta, and pure knowledge, if lacking devotion to You, does not shine; how much less, then, can even the best works bring lasting good if not offered to the Lord? “All efforts for fame and prosperity—through duties, austerity, or study—are supreme only when they bring unfailing remembrance of Śrīdhara’s lotus feet, through reverent hearing and praise of Hari’s virtues. Remembrance of Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet destroys all inauspiciousness and bestows well-being; it purifies the mind, brings supreme devotion to the indwelling Lord, and grants knowledge with realization and detachment. “Truly, you foremost twice-born are greatly blessed, for you constantly worship Nārāyaṇa, the Lord of gods, the ruler, who is the soul of all beings, having fixed Him steadily in your hearts. And I too have been reminded of the truth of the Self, which I heard long ago from the supreme sage’s lips, when King Parīkṣit was fasting in the company of great sages and seers. “O brāhmaṇas, thus I have told you the glorious deeds of the Lord of mighty acts, whose greatness destroys all misfortune. Whoever, with unwavering mind and faith, recites or listens to this daily, even for a moment, becomes purified. Hearing this on the twelfth or eleventh day of the lunar fortnight grants long life; reciting it with self-control and fasting, one is freed from sin. One who, self-controlled, observes a fast and recites this collection in Puṣkara, Mathurā, or Dvārakā, is freed from fear. “By the praise and hearing of whose glories, the gods, sages, perfected beings, ancestors, Manus, and kings grant the desires of those who sing or listen. A twice-born who studies the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas attains the fruits of honey, clarified butter, and milk. A devoted twice-born who studies this Purāṇa attains the supreme abode spoken of by the Lord. By studying, a brāhmaṇa attains wisdom, a kṣatriya sovereignty over the ocean, a vaiśya lordship over wealth, and a śūdra is purified from sin. “Elsewhere, Hari, the Lord of all, who burns away the impurity of Kali, is not sung of constantly; but here, the Lord whose form is all-encompassing is thoroughly recited, verse by verse, in these narratives. I bow to You, the unborn, infinite, true Self, whose power brings about the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe, whose praise is difficult even for Brahmā, Indra, Śiva, and others to grasp—O infallible One. “Homage to the eternal Supreme among the gods, whose own power forms the stable and moving worlds within Himself, whose abode is realized only by the blessed. I bow to Vyāsa’s son, who, with a mind absorbed in his own bliss and free from all else, was drawn by the unconquered Lord’s charming play, and who, out of compassion, revealed this Purāṇa—the lamp of truth, destroyer of all sin.” As the narrative continued, Sūta described the return of Vidura. Having learned the path of the Self from the sage Maitreya during his pilgrimage, Vidura came back to Hastināpura, his thirst for knowledge satisfied. During his time with the sage Kauṣārava, Vidura had developed exclusive devotion to Govinda, and, once that devotion was established, he ceased his inquiries. When Vidura returned, his kinsmen—Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira) and his brothers, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Yuyutsu, Sūta, Kṛpa, and Pṛthā—along with Gāndhārī, Draupadī, Subhadrā, Uttara, Kṛpī, and other wives of the Pāṇḍavas, their sons, and female relatives—all rose with delight, as if life itself had returned to their bodies. They approached Vidura with proper respect, greeting him with embraces and salutations. Overcome by longing from their long separation, they wept tears of love. The king honored Vidura, offering him a seat and welcoming him warmly. Once Vidura had eaten, rested, and was comfortably seated, Yudhiṣṭhira, bowing with humility, spoke as all listened. “Do you remember us, who thrived under your shelter and were saved, along with our mother, from so many dangers—poison, fire, and more? How have you lived while wandering the earth? Have you visited the chief holy places and sacred fields? O Lord, devotees like you are themselves holy places, for they carry within their hearts the bearer of the mace and sanctify even sacred sites. “O dear one, have you seen or heard from our friends and relatives, the worshippers of Krishna? Are the Yadavas living happily in their city?” To these questions, Vidura described all that he had experienced, step by step, except for the destruction of the Yadu dynasty. Though something unpleasant and unbearable had happened, out of compassion and unable to bear causing sorrow to others, he did not speak of it.